[Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathies: an experience in Western Sicily].

Monoclonal gammopathies (GM) are divided into clinically manifest and asymptomatic syndromes. In the last 20 years, the prevalence of GM in industrialized Countries is more than doubled. In order to verify the prevalence of these forms in Western Sicily, at University General Hospital of Palermo an epidemiologic inquiry was made to check the presence of GM as fortuitous event during routine analyses; from March 2000 to March 2001 it was found a prevalence of 0.89% (196 cases on 22100 analysed). Average age was 67.5, with 58.2% men and 41.8% women from different Departments of University General Hospital. The finding of a monoclonal component must be considered an important laboratory datum to observe with time by not invasive laboratory examinations (high-resolution serum-protein electrophoresis and immunofixation).